Bushings, kingpins, and a bent axle. questions!!!

[nicsye]

First off, I'm Nic, a long-time street skater and a relatively new longboarder. I'm also new to this site, and I'm loving it so far!

I just boughtmy first longboard today, Landyachtz bamboo drop-hammer, deck only . I had a set of Randal RII's and some flywheels which a friend had given me. After a tiny bit of wood filing, I was able to mount the RII's on the deck no problem. But when I tried to change the bushings to my new green pumpkins (barrel / stepped cone combo), I realized the kingpin is not quite long enough because of the barrel.

first question: would it be hard to find 3-inch kingpins for my trucks in local skate shops? would cutting the barrel bushings down to size noticably decrease the performance? (say I take 1/6 of the length off)

second question: after close inspection, i realized that one of my axles is slightly bent laterally. I can't really notice it when I ride, but then again I don't have much experience on longboards. Is this something to be concerned about safety-wise?

and lastly, are spacers necessary for longboard wheels?

thanks for any help!

[Bookworm]

slightly bent axles are not uncommon, I think my board has 2. I just ride em and if it ever becomes a serious problem I'll have to look for new hangars/trucks.

[Big Dev]

Go to Ace Hardware for longer kingpins, make sure you ask for "grade 8" or it'll break and you'll fall and die.

Pumpkins are awful bushings, buy these Mile High Skates

You should buy bearing spacers, as they increase the life of your bearings and make for more consistent slides. But no, they aren't necessary.

Don't be scared of bent axles. They'll make your wheels cone (wear unevenly) after slides, but if they're what you have, embrace it.

skate happy

[Fortune]

First off, I'm Nic, a long-time street skater and a relatively new longboarder. I'm also new to this site, and I'm loving it so far!

I just boughtmy first longboard today, Landyachtz bamboo drop-hammer, deck only . I had a set of Randal RII's and some flywheels which a friend had given me. After a tiny bit of wood filing, I was able to mount the RII's on the deck no problem. But when I tried to change the bushings to my new green pumpkins (barrel / stepped cone combo), I realized the kingpin is not quite long enough because of the barrel.

first question: would it be hard to find 3-inch kingpins for my trucks in local skate shops? would cutting the barrel bushings down to size noticably decrease the performance? (say I take 1/6 of the length off)

second question: after close inspection, i realized that one of my axles is slightly bent laterally. I can't really notice it when I ride, but then again I don't have much experience on longboards. Is this something to be concerned about safety-wise?

and lastly, are spacers necessary for longboard wheels?

thanks for any help!

I wouldn't buy from skate shops, kingpins are usually like $2-$3 I find. I went to my local Lordco, got four kingpins and Nylock nuts for just under $4.

I wouldn't wear that much off of the barrel. Just get a longer KP, imo.

Cast trucks almost never have straight axles. Nothing to worry about, unless you really notice it when you ride.

And I don't ride without spacers. I definitely notice a difference.